I'm not the kind of person to get easily disturbed by watching movies or shorts with the "disturbing" label on it, and this is one of those rare films that actualy managed to freak me out. I won't spoil anything but you've never seen any disfunctional family themed films like this one, it's very original. It's also quite horrifying to actualy think that something like what you witness in this short could happen in real life, if you like well made original short films which leave you gasping in terror have a look at "The Strange Thing About the Johnsons.
47 Reviews
Groundbreaking
charliemaddocks24 July 2019
For a debut short, they don't get much better than this. Original idea, well written, well acted, directed well and looked gorgeous shot on silky 16mm. Aswell as that the clothes and locations really summed up suburban america so well which really aided the storyline and made us really consider the idea of what goes on behind seemingly perfect closed doors...
I watched this after watching Midsommar and Hereditary and I now see the links in his work that has allowed him to go on from this to make even bigger and better films! Looking forward to the next feature from Aster!
I watched this after watching Midsommar and Hereditary and I now see the links in his work that has allowed him to go on from this to make even bigger and better films! Looking forward to the next feature from Aster!
Ari loves his family drama
beatrice_gangi28 January 2023
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons is the short submitted by Ari Aster for his thesis, this before he established himself as one of the most talented directors in the contemporary horror film scene. Indeed, one of the most compelling things about the film is to note how several of the elements that made his best-known films outstanding were already part of his poetics from the very beginning. Among them, the propensity to tackle really taboo subjects, so much so that the idea must have been frowned upon in a politically correct university, such as AFI. So yes, Ari Aster's university professors most certainly hated him.
While acerbic, Aster did as good a job with the small budget at his disposal as in handling the theme. For example, you can see how the gimmick of one of the most iconic sequences in Hereditary began to develop in this very movie (where it is used due to the actual practical impossibility of shooting a certain scene). Some lines of writing are really sophisticated, as is the attention to the emotional reaction to the traumas of the different characters, and all the actors involved were perfect in their parts.
While acerbic, Aster did as good a job with the small budget at his disposal as in handling the theme. For example, you can see how the gimmick of one of the most iconic sequences in Hereditary began to develop in this very movie (where it is used due to the actual practical impossibility of shooting a certain scene). Some lines of writing are really sophisticated, as is the attention to the emotional reaction to the traumas of the different characters, and all the actors involved were perfect in their parts.
Super Disturbing! :O
midnitepantera8 August 2021
So...this exists...
triton_ogletree28 August 2020
If you saw Hereditary or Midsommar or both, well here's where the director started and boy is it messed up! The 30 minute film is very well done but the concept will boggle your mind. This film is DEFINITELY not for everyone. It is an interesting perspective that I have never seen on film before but be warned it is quite disturbing. Fortunately for me, I am a big fan of disturbing films. If you are not, you should probably avoid this one.
Too many people not seeing the deeper meaning!!!!
alyssa25714 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It seems people are insulted by the film because he casted a black family. I've seen many people also say something along the lines of, "why didn't he use a different race" as if that would justify everything (and I'm guessing they wanted it to be a white family).
The whole theme of this movie seems to be; odd, unusal, taboo, not of the norm. Most incest cases involve the parent abusing the son, but this movie is the opposite. It's strange and not normal. And that is probably why he casted a black family, because that's adding on to the theme of being strange and unusual. He's not insulting the black race, he KNOWS that's not how black people are. He's trying to tackle the idea of "what if?", just like he's doing when he makes the child the abuser rather than the adult.
I feel like this movie is getting so much hate just because people are misinterpreting it, getting offended, and not looking at it from a different perspective. People are uncomfortable with it because of the incest, it's something that people like to sweep under the rug. But that's the beauty of this short film; it's brings a subject like this to light rather than hide it. Just like the mother in this film; she hides it, pretends it doesn't happen because she's uncomfortable and scared of what others would thing. It happens in real life. And this film invokes the idea that maybe if we brought things to light, spoke about it rather than sweep it under the rug, something would actually be done about it. We can fix issues if we keep hiding them.
I think this is a movie with a deep message, I love it. It manages to make people FEEL a certain way. So many movies today are the same, mind-numbing, repetitive. It's nice to have something new and odd for once.
Someone in the reviews said that they didn't like this film, it was disgusting, they like happy comedies... then why did you watch this? Stick to your happy movies. Don't go watching something like this.
The whole theme of this movie seems to be; odd, unusal, taboo, not of the norm. Most incest cases involve the parent abusing the son, but this movie is the opposite. It's strange and not normal. And that is probably why he casted a black family, because that's adding on to the theme of being strange and unusual. He's not insulting the black race, he KNOWS that's not how black people are. He's trying to tackle the idea of "what if?", just like he's doing when he makes the child the abuser rather than the adult.
I feel like this movie is getting so much hate just because people are misinterpreting it, getting offended, and not looking at it from a different perspective. People are uncomfortable with it because of the incest, it's something that people like to sweep under the rug. But that's the beauty of this short film; it's brings a subject like this to light rather than hide it. Just like the mother in this film; she hides it, pretends it doesn't happen because she's uncomfortable and scared of what others would thing. It happens in real life. And this film invokes the idea that maybe if we brought things to light, spoke about it rather than sweep it under the rug, something would actually be done about it. We can fix issues if we keep hiding them.
I think this is a movie with a deep message, I love it. It manages to make people FEEL a certain way. So many movies today are the same, mind-numbing, repetitive. It's nice to have something new and odd for once.
Someone in the reviews said that they didn't like this film, it was disgusting, they like happy comedies... then why did you watch this? Stick to your happy movies. Don't go watching something like this.
A Short Film Masterpiece.
calvinherrmann10 May 2015
Let's be real here... Short films don't really have a place in the world in terms of global mass media. They are usually only seen by film-aholics or by people involved in the film arena (directors, producers, cinematographers, film critics, film students & professors, etc.) Ask any 'normal person' who doesn't know who David Lynch is, or doesn't have a strong opinion on the films of Hitchcock, if they can name just ONE short film... And I'd bet a million bucks they can't. name. one. My point is...
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons defies this rule.
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons is the only short film I've ever seen that I can show someone who isn't a 'film person' and they are completely engaged from the very first scene, to the very end, every - single - time. It's the ONLY short film that - MULTIPLE TIMES - I have told people about in a living room, and they become so enticed, we whip it out on someone's computer screen, and in the midst of a large hang out session, 9 people are so completely transfixed for nearly 30 minutes, and ALWAYS walk away with a strong visceral reaction.
Ari Aster is a Great director who understand precisely what makes the world wide audience sit on the edge of their seats. The original soundtrack by Brendan Eder is unforgettable in its use of beauty over the sadistic nature of the characters. Billy Mayo delivers a indelible disturbing performance with unnerving authenticity.
In 20 years, The Strange Thing About the Johnsons will STILL be one of the only short films you can sit a big group of people -- (the kind of people who've never been to a film festival in their life, aka 98% of all world movie watchers) -- a big group of people down in a living room and play, and NO ONE will pull out their phones from boredom. It is, without a doubt, if there ever was such a thing...
A short film masterpiece.
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons defies this rule.
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons is the only short film I've ever seen that I can show someone who isn't a 'film person' and they are completely engaged from the very first scene, to the very end, every - single - time. It's the ONLY short film that - MULTIPLE TIMES - I have told people about in a living room, and they become so enticed, we whip it out on someone's computer screen, and in the midst of a large hang out session, 9 people are so completely transfixed for nearly 30 minutes, and ALWAYS walk away with a strong visceral reaction.
Ari Aster is a Great director who understand precisely what makes the world wide audience sit on the edge of their seats. The original soundtrack by Brendan Eder is unforgettable in its use of beauty over the sadistic nature of the characters. Billy Mayo delivers a indelible disturbing performance with unnerving authenticity.
In 20 years, The Strange Thing About the Johnsons will STILL be one of the only short films you can sit a big group of people -- (the kind of people who've never been to a film festival in their life, aka 98% of all world movie watchers) -- a big group of people down in a living room and play, and NO ONE will pull out their phones from boredom. It is, without a doubt, if there ever was such a thing...
A short film masterpiece.
For Aster fans only
TuesdayThe17th9 October 2019
This is a very good first impression from recently acclaimed new director, Ari Aster. I would call him a horror director, however, based off the core nature of his films and some things Aster has said himself including things like he didn't intentionally set out to make a horror film from the start with "Hereditary". Ari Aster crafts heavy, haunting, and personal dramas that have a way of creating their very own unique atmosphere. An atmosphere usually filled with gut wrenching terror. "The Strange Thing About the Johnsons" is just that. This is Aster's most genre film as it feels almost 100% a drama. It is reminiscent of another anthology drama/horror called "Family Portraits" they are both very disturbing in their nature. "The Strange Thing" is the story about a suburban family that where the father and son share a dark secret. The story is very engaging as it is subject matter most of us have not seen portrayed in film before. This movie also kind of reminds me of Trey Edward Shults first film "Krisha". Overall a nice little short film to watch for fans of "Hereditary" and "Midsommar"
Blown away!
drezdock6 December 2011
I was amazed at this movie! It was not at all what I expected it to be. The production values, cinematography, acting, writing, directing, and editing were absolutely phenomenal. Most of the other reviewers here have given it a low rating due to how uneasy the subject material made them. One even goes so far as to say "the content of this project is not only disgusting, but implausible and completely ridiculous." However the very next line in the review is "I know these things actually happen," So how can something be both implausible and ridiculous, yet actually happen? This movie is great. It is thought provoking and I think does a good good of presenting an often uncontemplated take on the dark motifs the movie explores. It is designed to make the audience uncomfortable so that, hopefully, they will talk about what they have just watched. My hat goes off to the filmmaker and all those involved for creating a truly unique and visionary piece of cinema.
Original
ceomoneymaker21 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I have read allot of different reviews about this short; most negative. People either have an issue about content, the race of the family (Black), or both. Allot of them contain spoilers... Lets get this out the way, the movie is very disturbing; but its very original. Originally is something you don't see these days with movie studios appearing to only be pushing movies with existing IP's. " Good acting, writing, and again an original story.
When I first heard about this movie, it was on a site, which focus' more on black entertainment, a site that I don't visit daily. But I was bored, and wanted to read some raunchy brain numbing news, about somebodies booty implant exploding or something of that nature... I came across a post about this movie, with the end of the post reading something like "Hollywood is destroying black families," or something close to that. I thought at was funny because that site is destroying black family with the crap they post normally. However I was still outrage, thinking Hollywood is doing it again... I was kind of upset, but since the content was disturbing, I wanted to watch it (it's something about disturbing content that makes you feel like you got to see it). It was nothing racist about this movie. I'm black, and I watched it with a white female, and I asked her if she feel differently about black families, if she felt that this happens in all black families and of course she said no. It was a disturbing movie, and the family just happened to be black, thats all. The family could have been white, or Asian, or mixed. Watching this movie was like watching the anime Death Note, disturbing. It wasn't a feel good movie, your not left happy or bubbly. It's twisted and it makes you think that issues discussed which were shown in this short are deeper then you think they are...
When I first heard about this movie, it was on a site, which focus' more on black entertainment, a site that I don't visit daily. But I was bored, and wanted to read some raunchy brain numbing news, about somebodies booty implant exploding or something of that nature... I came across a post about this movie, with the end of the post reading something like "Hollywood is destroying black families," or something close to that. I thought at was funny because that site is destroying black family with the crap they post normally. However I was still outrage, thinking Hollywood is doing it again... I was kind of upset, but since the content was disturbing, I wanted to watch it (it's something about disturbing content that makes you feel like you got to see it). It was nothing racist about this movie. I'm black, and I watched it with a white female, and I asked her if she feel differently about black families, if she felt that this happens in all black families and of course she said no. It was a disturbing movie, and the family just happened to be black, thats all. The family could have been white, or Asian, or mixed. Watching this movie was like watching the anime Death Note, disturbing. It wasn't a feel good movie, your not left happy or bubbly. It's twisted and it makes you think that issues discussed which were shown in this short are deeper then you think they are...
Absurd at first, tragic at last
Horst_In_Translation10 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"The Strange Thing About the Johnsons" is a half-hour live action short film from five years ago that features a predominantly Black cast. I have no idea why this is classified as a comedy, but there is certainly nothing to laugh in this little movie, also no black humor. It is about a seemingly harmonic family, but reality is different. The family's son has been abusing the father sexually since his teenage days. This also brings up the question of realism. Is it really justification enough for the father not to talk to parents or a psychologist because he was so ashamed? I am not sure. Anyway, the longer the film runs, the more dramatic it becomes. It needs a bit to really capture your interest, but at some point it succeeds and becomes a pretty devastating watch (in a positive sense). The writer and director is Ari Aster and this is one of his earliest career efforts. Sure shows that he has some talent, some of the greats in terms of filmmaking had worse rookie efforts. I recommend this half hour. Thumbs up.
Spoiler Alert: They Strange. They Strange AF.
colorthekid10 November 2019
Disturbing film, but well worth the watch.
dannylee-7808223 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This film is one of Ari Aster's first films, debuted in 2011. Ever since even 10 years ago, he knew how to disturb the viewers. I've watched hereditary and midsommar and both were equally disturbing. This film as well.
Strange thing about the Johnsons flips the classic child molestation scenario which unfortunately happens so often, and make the child the perpetrator. What happens afterwards in this short film isn't of great importance. But the idea in itself to flip a typical scenario and executing it proves the value of this film. A quick google search doesn't actually result in any meaningful reports about a child sexually abusing their parents so the story presented in this movie may be highly unlikely. But that in essence serves its purpose by presenting a scenario in a twisted way, you are able to captivate the audience more in regards to the movie's main concern which is child sexual abuse.
Strange thing about the Johnsons flips the classic child molestation scenario which unfortunately happens so often, and make the child the perpetrator. What happens afterwards in this short film isn't of great importance. But the idea in itself to flip a typical scenario and executing it proves the value of this film. A quick google search doesn't actually result in any meaningful reports about a child sexually abusing their parents so the story presented in this movie may be highly unlikely. But that in essence serves its purpose by presenting a scenario in a twisted way, you are able to captivate the audience more in regards to the movie's main concern which is child sexual abuse.
This movie confounds me.
tailablu25 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I have seen reactions ranging from righteous disgust to rapturous joy. For me, this work is one that confounds me I will now explain why in great detail, in hopes that someone out there will come to understand why I feel this way about it.
I am no official or professional on this sort of thing, but I am a young black woman, so I can account for the upraising of my own childhood, and how strict my own parents are, and their testimonies of how strict their own parents were.
Is this a maddening and insulting romp into the world of the unseen? The premise of the drama in this is unique in that it explores an incestuous abusive relationship wherein the abuser is the younger and supposedly less powerful son. However, the son in this film is presented as powerful over his father, physically and emotionally. He abuses his father in both of these ways, and shows no remorse for his actions.
The premise almost seems like it should be done in a poorly made and disgustingly insensitive parody of all of the other movies covering horrifically abusive relationships. Slapstick about excessive slapping and all. However, the way this film handles itself is odd. I'm not someone who goes to movies very often myself, out of need of necessity overriding the urge to go out and have a good time at a movie theater. I rarely settle down for a movie unless it's for something that I know will ultimately be very wholesome, like a cartoon movie to lift my own spirits. This film, in its entirety, is not one of those things. Even Get Out left me feeling more rapturous than this.
Venturing into spoiler territory, I have to commend the person who acted as the father. The directions given to him were quite odd, but you can definitely tell he poured his all into it. I have no doubt in my mind that he wanted to put his effort into it, possibly out of kindness or possibly just for the paycheck. A lot of people enjoy knowing they earned what they earned fairly, and putting forth a good performance for a healthy payment is assuredly so.
There's a lot of controversy about this movie being written by a white man, and how this alone leads him to be ignorant about black culture. A lot of people feel as if this casting decision is an attempt to 'seem woke'. To me, it just adds to the oddity of it all. Black families, as far as I have experienced myself, are headstrong and disciplinary to the point where you come to fear your parents, not the other way around. To see a father dreading his son finding his confession to his wife is odd to me, not because it illicits feelings of humor within me, but because the sight is so alien to me because I can much better imagine the father being in the place of the abuser, rather than the son.
Is this predisposition part of a bigger issue? Well, I wouldn't know myself. I don't research statistics, but I do know that typically movies about incestuous sexual abuse focus on very specific power dynamics. Parent versus child, and older/stronger sibling versus younger/weaker sibling. These dynamics cause us to feel great concern for the victim, because what if they can't get out of that horrid situation? What if they're stuck there to suffer for eternity? Will they ever stand up and fight for themselves?
It is so odd to me, how ultimately this film would make much more sense if the son and father's roles were reversed, and yet the writer obviously put work into making this idea seem plausible as well.
So is it something meant to highlight a vicious and well-hidden issue, or a romp in disgusting racism hidden in plain sight?
Well, that's what different people are for. An axiom by once such Sedgwick: people are different from one another. I myself found this film to be... an experience, but not one I would ever particularly cherish for myself. I would not put myself through this again, not willingly and not if I could help it. It settles an unpleasant and bile-filled feeling in my stomach, not aimed towards anyone in particular, but aimed towards the entire film and its overall plot. It's so strange and unshakably visceral that I can only find myself wishing I had never come to experience it, and just stuck to seeing that odd clip of the man screaming in his bathtub after his son melodramatically kicks the door in.
I give it 4 stars for presenting an idea I'd never thought of before, but I have to revoke 6 stars for its unpleasantness, the odd and disgusting feeling in my stomach, the poor direction for one very good actor (especially during the scene leading to his death), the son's odd and unclear character, the mother's inaction that ultimately comes off as extremely unrealistic, the father's ultimately subordinate nature to his son after being raped for so long when so many black men are forced into the narrative of 'never choose flight', and the beginning scene that was framed in such a way that I was forced to bear the mental image of a 12-year-old pleasuring himself to his father's photograph.
So this film gets a 4 out of 10.
I am no official or professional on this sort of thing, but I am a young black woman, so I can account for the upraising of my own childhood, and how strict my own parents are, and their testimonies of how strict their own parents were.
Is this a maddening and insulting romp into the world of the unseen? The premise of the drama in this is unique in that it explores an incestuous abusive relationship wherein the abuser is the younger and supposedly less powerful son. However, the son in this film is presented as powerful over his father, physically and emotionally. He abuses his father in both of these ways, and shows no remorse for his actions.
The premise almost seems like it should be done in a poorly made and disgustingly insensitive parody of all of the other movies covering horrifically abusive relationships. Slapstick about excessive slapping and all. However, the way this film handles itself is odd. I'm not someone who goes to movies very often myself, out of need of necessity overriding the urge to go out and have a good time at a movie theater. I rarely settle down for a movie unless it's for something that I know will ultimately be very wholesome, like a cartoon movie to lift my own spirits. This film, in its entirety, is not one of those things. Even Get Out left me feeling more rapturous than this.
Venturing into spoiler territory, I have to commend the person who acted as the father. The directions given to him were quite odd, but you can definitely tell he poured his all into it. I have no doubt in my mind that he wanted to put his effort into it, possibly out of kindness or possibly just for the paycheck. A lot of people enjoy knowing they earned what they earned fairly, and putting forth a good performance for a healthy payment is assuredly so.
There's a lot of controversy about this movie being written by a white man, and how this alone leads him to be ignorant about black culture. A lot of people feel as if this casting decision is an attempt to 'seem woke'. To me, it just adds to the oddity of it all. Black families, as far as I have experienced myself, are headstrong and disciplinary to the point where you come to fear your parents, not the other way around. To see a father dreading his son finding his confession to his wife is odd to me, not because it illicits feelings of humor within me, but because the sight is so alien to me because I can much better imagine the father being in the place of the abuser, rather than the son.
Is this predisposition part of a bigger issue? Well, I wouldn't know myself. I don't research statistics, but I do know that typically movies about incestuous sexual abuse focus on very specific power dynamics. Parent versus child, and older/stronger sibling versus younger/weaker sibling. These dynamics cause us to feel great concern for the victim, because what if they can't get out of that horrid situation? What if they're stuck there to suffer for eternity? Will they ever stand up and fight for themselves?
It is so odd to me, how ultimately this film would make much more sense if the son and father's roles were reversed, and yet the writer obviously put work into making this idea seem plausible as well.
So is it something meant to highlight a vicious and well-hidden issue, or a romp in disgusting racism hidden in plain sight?
Well, that's what different people are for. An axiom by once such Sedgwick: people are different from one another. I myself found this film to be... an experience, but not one I would ever particularly cherish for myself. I would not put myself through this again, not willingly and not if I could help it. It settles an unpleasant and bile-filled feeling in my stomach, not aimed towards anyone in particular, but aimed towards the entire film and its overall plot. It's so strange and unshakably visceral that I can only find myself wishing I had never come to experience it, and just stuck to seeing that odd clip of the man screaming in his bathtub after his son melodramatically kicks the door in.
I give it 4 stars for presenting an idea I'd never thought of before, but I have to revoke 6 stars for its unpleasantness, the odd and disgusting feeling in my stomach, the poor direction for one very good actor (especially during the scene leading to his death), the son's odd and unclear character, the mother's inaction that ultimately comes off as extremely unrealistic, the father's ultimately subordinate nature to his son after being raped for so long when so many black men are forced into the narrative of 'never choose flight', and the beginning scene that was framed in such a way that I was forced to bear the mental image of a 12-year-old pleasuring himself to his father's photograph.
So this film gets a 4 out of 10.
It's a lot to handle
Jeremy_Urquhart4 December 2022
So on Letterboxd, this is listed as a comedy drama. I'd really have to disagree about the comedy part- unless you find the disturbing story absurd enough to be funny? But I don't really know who would, because the premise is one I genuinely don't feel like I can describe if I want to post this review on Letterboxd/IMDb/Instagram.
I can say it takes a unique and shocking look at abuse, and the way it affects a family over the course of about 15 years. It might not be as clear of a horror film as Ari Aster's features - Hereditary and Midsommar - but it's arguably just as unsettling in its own way. The fact all the colours and sets make it look like a sitcom or daytime soap opera really adds to the discomfort, and is one of my favourite things about this short.
I am mostly glad it was a short film. Taking this to feature length could have been too much. It does leave things feeling a bit rushed here and there, but I think it still works. I also to sit with the ending for a little while before I (sort of) appreciated it.
I think this short film is effective, well-acted, and I guess overall quite good. I would not recommend it.
I can say it takes a unique and shocking look at abuse, and the way it affects a family over the course of about 15 years. It might not be as clear of a horror film as Ari Aster's features - Hereditary and Midsommar - but it's arguably just as unsettling in its own way. The fact all the colours and sets make it look like a sitcom or daytime soap opera really adds to the discomfort, and is one of my favourite things about this short.
I am mostly glad it was a short film. Taking this to feature length could have been too much. It does leave things feeling a bit rushed here and there, but I think it still works. I also to sit with the ending for a little while before I (sort of) appreciated it.
I think this short film is effective, well-acted, and I guess overall quite good. I would not recommend it.
A Nightmare For the Whole Family
timcrouch-6992619 August 2018
"The Strange Thing About the Johnsons" is a short film that employs psychological realism to tell a story for the sole purpose of shocking, offending, and frightening the audience. Horror movies do that. It's sort of like comedies trying to make people laugh. This movie succeeds brilliantly in shocking, offending, and frightening the audience so I have to say "well done" to the nasty little creep who wrote and directed it. Well done, Ari Aster. Please make lots more horror movies. I love them. Later, you might want to get some therapy
Family Secrets
robinsonaustin-074901 July 2019
Ari Aster had gradually made a name for himself in the terms of the horror genre with his next film Midsommar coming after his 2018 directorial debut Hereditary. Before either, Aster had made several short films that would come to define his style. His most well-known short film is a little piece called The Strange Thing About the Johnsons.
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons revolves around an African American middle class family with the family patriarch Sidney Johnson a famous writer; his wife Joan; and son, Isaiah. Beneath the surface however, is a dark family secret one of abuse. For the most part, the film displays some of the motifs that Aster would later implement in his films. The film upon first viewing is very disturbing with the twist of the role reversal involved in the domestic abuse. It makes it almost unnerving to watch, it'd make one squirm in their seat. But for what it's worth, it does present the topic in a moderately respectable manner. There are many scenes that are genuinely unnerving, but some are also kind of funny. The absurdity of the situation is the source of humor rather than the issue itself, but it is never as a knee-slapping good time: people laugh more because they cannot process what they are watching.
Acting is corny for the most part. Billy Mayo plays the troubled Sidney, and while he is serviceable, Sidney otherwise comes off as a weak character and because a f the role reversal, it's hard to really find it believable. Angela Bullock plays Joan, and at first, she comes off as unlikable. She is fully aware of the abuse happening under her roof, but she does nothing about it until it becomes too late. Brandon Greenhouse plays Isaiah who is honestly the only good performance. He is intimidating and comes off as eerily realistic in the way that domestic abusers function in real life. They put on the image of being ordinary people, but are otherwise manipulative, controlling, and deflect blame and criticism onto their victim. As for the rest, the acting is corny but it also comes from the absurdity of the situation.
In all, the film isn't for the faint of heart. It is very triggering to anyone who was in a situation like the film, but it does show some of the unpleasantries that Aster would later use in Hereditary.
Final score: 6.3/10
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons revolves around an African American middle class family with the family patriarch Sidney Johnson a famous writer; his wife Joan; and son, Isaiah. Beneath the surface however, is a dark family secret one of abuse. For the most part, the film displays some of the motifs that Aster would later implement in his films. The film upon first viewing is very disturbing with the twist of the role reversal involved in the domestic abuse. It makes it almost unnerving to watch, it'd make one squirm in their seat. But for what it's worth, it does present the topic in a moderately respectable manner. There are many scenes that are genuinely unnerving, but some are also kind of funny. The absurdity of the situation is the source of humor rather than the issue itself, but it is never as a knee-slapping good time: people laugh more because they cannot process what they are watching.
Acting is corny for the most part. Billy Mayo plays the troubled Sidney, and while he is serviceable, Sidney otherwise comes off as a weak character and because a f the role reversal, it's hard to really find it believable. Angela Bullock plays Joan, and at first, she comes off as unlikable. She is fully aware of the abuse happening under her roof, but she does nothing about it until it becomes too late. Brandon Greenhouse plays Isaiah who is honestly the only good performance. He is intimidating and comes off as eerily realistic in the way that domestic abusers function in real life. They put on the image of being ordinary people, but are otherwise manipulative, controlling, and deflect blame and criticism onto their victim. As for the rest, the acting is corny but it also comes from the absurdity of the situation.
In all, the film isn't for the faint of heart. It is very triggering to anyone who was in a situation like the film, but it does show some of the unpleasantries that Aster would later use in Hereditary.
Final score: 6.3/10
Highly Disturbing
wrensphotos11 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I stumbled across this short film on YouTube. I was looking for a horror film I could watch in under 30 minutes, and I sure got that.
For some context: The director of this film is the same man who made the hit horror movie Hereditary. The reason he decided to make The Strange Thing About the Johnsons was to get the audience to feel shocked and disgusted at the abuse shown, and to make people realize that it this case of a son sexually abusing his father was so disturbing, we should feel the same exact way when the roles are reversed.
This was easily one of the hardest, most difficult to swallow films I have ever seen. The scenes in this are so triggering and sickening, I have never seen something quite like this. It left me feeling gross and disgusted for hours on end. If you're looking for a horror movie that'll really mess you up, this will sure as hell do it. Please just be aware that there are several scenes with abuse, extreme manipulation, and even a murder scene. Do not watch if you can't handle those subjects.
For some context: The director of this film is the same man who made the hit horror movie Hereditary. The reason he decided to make The Strange Thing About the Johnsons was to get the audience to feel shocked and disgusted at the abuse shown, and to make people realize that it this case of a son sexually abusing his father was so disturbing, we should feel the same exact way when the roles are reversed.
This was easily one of the hardest, most difficult to swallow films I have ever seen. The scenes in this are so triggering and sickening, I have never seen something quite like this. It left me feeling gross and disgusted for hours on end. If you're looking for a horror movie that'll really mess you up, this will sure as hell do it. Please just be aware that there are several scenes with abuse, extreme manipulation, and even a murder scene. Do not watch if you can't handle those subjects.
Highly disturbing and stays with you
jon_pratt123451 May 2022
A short film about a seemingly unremarkable family with a disturbing secret. Ari Aster's first film and, for those familiar with his work, it packs the kind of unsettling punch we've come to expect. At its centre is a subject matter too horrible to really imagine anyone putting on film and it stayed with me for weeks afterwards as I struggled to get my head around it. I would recommend this short only to those with a high tolerance for the darkest story telling.
now THIS is REAL CINEMA CATHARSIS
Fernando-Rodrigues18 April 2021
yeah... no.
Quinoa198419 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Todd Solondz wannabe short film that may or may not be a satire or melodrama or both about rape in the family. On a positive note, the actor who played the father was quite good. Everyone else were quite poor in comparison, and the father was the closest to a fleshed out character (mostly the son, the mom's passable, but it's whoever the trying-but-tone-deaf son that sinks a lot of major dramatic scenes. And... yeah, I got nothing.
There's nothing satirical about this because I can't tell exactly if it's satirizing anything - is it a take off on over-wrought TV melodramas? Is it trying to go another step further than Solondz or to an extent Von Trier accomplish because they have more pointed aims in their icky subject matter? Or is it a guy who wants to SHOCK us all with something that is intentionally WTF like (spoiler) a father being raped by his son? It's a confused film that, near the end, had me laughing unintentionally at how wild the melodramatics get. A YouTube comment, of all things, summed it up for me: Tyler Perry on steroids.
I think it's mostly about the shock factor when it comes to something like this; if I was told this was made as something that could get on Adult Swim or something (anyone who's seen The House Has People In It might get what I mean), I might believe that person or source. And while I should praise it for getting in and out with what it's doing as far as what happens to victims of sexual assault (the son, make no mistake, is a master manipulator, and I couldn't find any room for ambiguity like, say, if the father had abused him when he was much younger and this is his payback - he's just a suck individual), even with that it almost feels a few minutes too long.
I can get why it's causing an uproar online - why exactly it resurfaced five years later after it's Slamdance premiere, I'm sure I don't know - but I wouldn't recommend watching it unless you're out to intentionally shock yourself or those around you. To make it more stark, it's akin to seeking out 2 Girls 1 Cup from years back; what do you EXPECT is going to be your reaction to this, despite it being shot on 35mm film (thank you, AFI?)
There's nothing satirical about this because I can't tell exactly if it's satirizing anything - is it a take off on over-wrought TV melodramas? Is it trying to go another step further than Solondz or to an extent Von Trier accomplish because they have more pointed aims in their icky subject matter? Or is it a guy who wants to SHOCK us all with something that is intentionally WTF like (spoiler) a father being raped by his son? It's a confused film that, near the end, had me laughing unintentionally at how wild the melodramatics get. A YouTube comment, of all things, summed it up for me: Tyler Perry on steroids.
I think it's mostly about the shock factor when it comes to something like this; if I was told this was made as something that could get on Adult Swim or something (anyone who's seen The House Has People In It might get what I mean), I might believe that person or source. And while I should praise it for getting in and out with what it's doing as far as what happens to victims of sexual assault (the son, make no mistake, is a master manipulator, and I couldn't find any room for ambiguity like, say, if the father had abused him when he was much younger and this is his payback - he's just a suck individual), even with that it almost feels a few minutes too long.
I can get why it's causing an uproar online - why exactly it resurfaced five years later after it's Slamdance premiere, I'm sure I don't know - but I wouldn't recommend watching it unless you're out to intentionally shock yourself or those around you. To make it more stark, it's akin to seeking out 2 Girls 1 Cup from years back; what do you EXPECT is going to be your reaction to this, despite it being shot on 35mm film (thank you, AFI?)
well...that was something
bhollidaybaldock12 November 2021
This short film by Ari Aster was filmed phenomenally and the storyline was very well written and acted out, it is a mentally disturbing and mind twisting film. But if you're a lover of film, take a look and appreciate the film making.
Insulting AND sloppy
hal100213 June 2018
This is the kind of early film that gets one into the big time in Hollywood, apparently. See "Burning Palms" for another. Be offensive to the extreme but shield yourself with a thin veil of demented comedy and/or a supposed altruistic message.
The writer/director is trying to flip the roles of family abuse, but giving it a veneer of winking comedy (so odd) and choosing to make the family black when the writer/director is white are both choices that should insult and offend. I'm not PC, but this is ridiculous. WHY use black actors for such a humiliating story, knowing the climate in Hollywood and lack of good all-black storytelling? Why, as a white guy, would you do that?
There is something sadistic underneath the making of this film that bleeds through. You can feel the director getting off on this under the guise of being a brave truth-teller. The average person who is not a Weinstein-like Hollywood exec is not buying this.
And P.S., it is not well executed anyway. Sloppy, badly directed.
The writer/director is trying to flip the roles of family abuse, but giving it a veneer of winking comedy (so odd) and choosing to make the family black when the writer/director is white are both choices that should insult and offend. I'm not PC, but this is ridiculous. WHY use black actors for such a humiliating story, knowing the climate in Hollywood and lack of good all-black storytelling? Why, as a white guy, would you do that?
There is something sadistic underneath the making of this film that bleeds through. You can feel the director getting off on this under the guise of being a brave truth-teller. The average person who is not a Weinstein-like Hollywood exec is not buying this.
And P.S., it is not well executed anyway. Sloppy, badly directed.
A Bizarre Exploration of Taboos
erikmd5 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
"The Strange Thing About The Johnsons" (2011), directed by Ari Aster, delves courageously into the realm of taboo subjects, most notably incest and family abuse. While Aster's audacious exploration of these themes is commendable, the film elicits complex and conflicting reactions from its viewers.
On one hand, the film demonstrates Aster's early prowess in creating an atmosphere of profound unease. He skillfully maintains an air of ambiguity throughout, compelling viewers to grapple with the enigmatic narrative. This ambiguity, in itself, becomes a source of intrigue, as it challenges us to search for hidden meanings and interpretations.
However, the film is not without its shortcomings. Its pacing can be erratic, occasionally leaving the audience disoriented and struggling to connect with the characters and storyline. The dialogue, at times, feels contrived and artificial, hindering the emotional resonance that is crucial for a film dealing with such sensitive and disturbing subject matter.
"The Strange Thing About The Johnsons" remains a deeply unsettling cinematic experience. Its audacious exploration of taboo themes forces us to confront uncomfortable truths and engage in uncomfortable conversations. Ari Aster's early promise as a filmmaker is evident, and while the film may not fully realize its potential, it undeniably leaves a lasting impression on those willing to grapple with its challenging content. Given its mixed qualities, a rating of 6/10 seems fitting, signifying both its boldness and its limitations.
On one hand, the film demonstrates Aster's early prowess in creating an atmosphere of profound unease. He skillfully maintains an air of ambiguity throughout, compelling viewers to grapple with the enigmatic narrative. This ambiguity, in itself, becomes a source of intrigue, as it challenges us to search for hidden meanings and interpretations.
However, the film is not without its shortcomings. Its pacing can be erratic, occasionally leaving the audience disoriented and struggling to connect with the characters and storyline. The dialogue, at times, feels contrived and artificial, hindering the emotional resonance that is crucial for a film dealing with such sensitive and disturbing subject matter.
"The Strange Thing About The Johnsons" remains a deeply unsettling cinematic experience. Its audacious exploration of taboo themes forces us to confront uncomfortable truths and engage in uncomfortable conversations. Ari Aster's early promise as a filmmaker is evident, and while the film may not fully realize its potential, it undeniably leaves a lasting impression on those willing to grapple with its challenging content. Given its mixed qualities, a rating of 6/10 seems fitting, signifying both its boldness and its limitations.
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